


Parting Gift

by frogfarm



Series: Faith the Vampire Slayer [6]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)
Genre: Gen, Post-Episode: s05e22 The Gift, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-09-21
Updated: 2004-09-21
Packaged: 2017-12-20 23:08:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/892975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frogfarm/pseuds/frogfarm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Following Buffy's death in "The Gift", the Scoobies have busted Faith out of jail. It's going to be a long summer.</p><p>AU for <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/series/562">Faith the Vampire Slayer</a>: Takes place in Faith and Willow's mindwalk in <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/9370">Life During Wartime</a>, chapter 7 ("End of Days").</p>
            </blockquote>





	Parting Gift

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Buffyverse 1000. My first Buffy fanfic, the genesis of [Faith the Vampire Slayer](https://archiveofourown.org/series/562), and its own [double retcon](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11039).

"Jesus." Faith licks her lips, realizes what she's doing. She's very glad Willow isn't looking her way, but what she's staring at is no better. It looks exactly like a body in a plywood coffin; eyes closed, chest unmoving, a flawless mannequin. She draws a shaky breath of her own. "You weren't just whistlin' Dixie, Red."

Willow nods, not turning around. "She really gives everyone the wiggins."

Something in her voice makes Faith step a little closer, try to see the look on the other woman's face. "'She'?"

"I..." Willow's expression remains unreadable, but it's obvious there's major struggle of some sort going un, under the surface. "It just doesn't feel right calling her 'it'. I tried, but..."

"Don't sweat it." Faith finds herself moving away again and forces herself to stop, stand very still. She's back in the world again for a reason; she can't afford to screw up again, not after all she's done.

The uncomfortable silence demands to be broken. "Hey, I don't wanna go all touchy feely on you or anything, but --"

"Is this the part where you say you're sorry?" Willow doesn't sound nasty or cold, just...dead. Like Buffy.

What does she have to lose? "Actually, I was more thinking of thank you."

Willow finally turns and looks at her, arms folded across her chest. "Don't." Now she does sound angry. "You don't get that. Not yet."

"Will, I --"

"No." Something black flares in the witch's eyes, sends a fiery thrill down Faith's spine. Slayer senses respond to the call of magicks, even as part of her realizes how much Willow has changed, and how much further she might if she had enough reason.

"We took a vote." Willow holds her gaze, sounding calm again. "Only without the island, or the obnoxious rich guy. About you. And whether we should get you out."

That stings, but of course they would have. Scoobies have always been big on democracy, even with their necks on the line.

"I'm here." She shrugs, managing to sound casual. "Guess it worked out."

Willow shakes her head. "Believe me, it was close."

She cocks her head, suddenly curious. "So who tipped the scales?"

Willow looks away again. "Xander."

"Huh." She doesn't let on, but part of her wants to weep with joy. "Didn't see that comin'."

Willow just looks at her like she knows exactly what Faith's thinking.

"He still doesn't trust you completely. I don't know if any of us ever will. But..." She exhales, the dark under her eyes more apparent. "Demon activity's been on the rise the last few days, and we can't fool them much longer. We need a Slayer." She turns away, crosses the basement to the foot of the stairs and stops with her hand on the banister. "And you're it."

Faith's nails dig into her palm as the door shuts, leaving her alone. No -- not quite. Except this Buffy is cold circuits and plastic; will never look at her with disgust, or pity, or possibly, someday, something approaching respect. By all accounts, the perfect perky soldier.

No wonder she creeps them all out.

She looks down at the robot and clears her throat.

"B..." She laughs, and it turns into a sob that dries in her throat before it can escape. "Talk about sick. Your pals want me to be you, even though I'll never be good enough for them. An' here I am talkin' to a hunk of metal like it was really you. Actually wishin' you were here, tellin' me to shut up. Tellin' me...we'll beat this thing together."

She bows her head for a second before focusing on the face of her rival.

"I won't let you down this time, B." Fragments of a dream echo in her mind and she leans down, brushing her lips against the robot's forehead. Sleeping beauty doesn't awake, but she wasn't expecting her to. "I won't let anything happen to them."

In her heart, she knows it's true.

Now it's time to show the others.


End file.
